Portables

Portable computer is a personal computer that is designed to be easily transported and
relocated, but is larger and less convenient to transport than a notebook computer. The
earliest PCs designed for easy transport were called portables. As the size and weight of
most portables decreased, they became known as laptop computer and later as notebook
computer. Today, larger transportable computers continue to be called portable computers.
Most of these are special-purpose computers - for example, those for use in industrial
environments where they need to be moved about frequently.
 PDA (personal digital assistant) is a term for any small mobile hand-held device that
provides computing and information storage and retrieval capabilities for personal or
business use, often for keeping schedule calendars and address book information handy.
The term handheld is a synonym. Many people use the name of one of the popular PDA
products as a generic term. These include Hewlett-Packard's Palmtop and 3Com's
PalmPilot.
Most PDAs have a small keyboard. Some PDAs have an electronically sensitive pad on
which handwriting can be received. Apple's Newton, which has been withdrawn from
the market, was the first widely-sold PDA that accepted handwriting. Typical uses
include schedule and address book storage  and retrieval and note-entering. However,
many applications have been written for PDAs. Increasingly, PDAs are combined with
telephones and paging systems.
Some PDAs offer a variation of the Microsoft Windows operating system called
Windows CE. Other products have their own or another operating system.